As anyone who’s an Empath knows, it’s not always easy. Nor is being a parent; but when you combine the two, it can be mayhem! Of course, being both a Mum and an Empath has its rewards too.

For anyone who isn’t familiar with the term Empath, here is a brief description (you may just find yourself reading this and having an ‘aha’ moment).

An Empath is someone who feels and takes on the emotions and energy of other people, situations and environments. This is not just empathy, but fully feeling these emotions and energy as if they were your very own. Empaths also have a ‘knowing’ that goes beyond gut feelings or intuition.

So, you can probably imagine that in addition to the everyday challenges that being a parent entails, adding this gift to the mix certainly makes for an interesting experience day in, day out.

Don’t get me wrong; being an Empath as a mother gives me some wonderful advantages. Having this ‘knowing’ means that I’m able to relate to my children on such a unique level, and the majority of the time, I needn’t even ask what’s wrong because I just ‘know’. Even if there’s not necessarily anything amiss with one of my children, I still know exactly what they need at any given time; whether it means they’re getting sick or just need to snuggle for a while.

For example, my two year old who isn’t quite verbal as yet, can simply look at me and most of the time, I know exactly what he needs or wants without trying to figure it out by questioning him. Sometimes, I’m even onto it before he is!

The difficult side to this gift is being able to feel my children’s emotions as my own when it becomes overwhelming for me. As everyone does, we all have challenges in life to deal with, and emotions of our own to understand and process, but when you add three more little people’s emotions to this, it can become quite daunting and make you feel like you’re carrying around the weight of the world. For example, if my teenager is feeling all hormonal and confused about his world, I feel it too. If my baby girl feels genuinely heartbroken because Dad just left to go to work, I feel it too. You get the gist…

At times, I’ve felt like just curling up in a ball and crying, and that’s okay, because it is a very overwhelming gift to have. But at the same time, I am extremely blessed to be able to share this wonderfully deep connection with my children. Once I was aware of what it means to be an Empath, and learnt more about it, things started to become much easier, and I now see this gift in a whole new light.

There are likely many, many parents out there who can completely relate to what I’m describing, and I want you to know that you’re not alone; and you’re certainly not crazy (even though at times, it may feel that way)! Being an Empath can be challenging and painful at the best of times, but when you’re a parent as well, and don’t know how to manage this gift, your heart and mind can get quite messy indeed.

But, once you have the awareness, and the tools to properly manage everything that being an Empath entails, you will quickly realise just how very special a gift it is, and why you’ve been blessed with it. It’s not always easy, but the rewards that come with this gift far outweigh the challenges.

I am more than happy to connect with anyone who would like to chat about this further, or who would simply like to share their experiences of being an Empath parent. I can be contacted through either of my Facebook pages here:

Last night, I received a message on my Facebook page from someone, and her words really stuck out to me for several reasons; one of them being that she had just confirmed for me that I am 100% on the right path in life.

Her message simply read:

“I don’t think I’ve every met a psychic so willing to help people. You’re the real deal.”

I sat there for a moment, pondering what this meant, and why it touched me so deeply.

The first thing I did was smile from ear to ear with gratitude, and I was quick to respond to her that I am just human, like everyone else, and that I do the work I do to help people; not to get rich. As someone who is offering guidance to others, while I need to earn a living, I still genuinely care about everyone’s well being, and my compassion and love for helping others isn’t just limited to doing so through paid services. That’s not what being a lightworker is about; not in my opinion, anyway. The reason for this person contacting me in the first place actually had nothing to do with readings or spiritual awareness. And again, just because someone may contact me about an issue, doesn’t mean I’m going to automatically try and promote my services either. If I know I’m in a position to help someone based on a shared life experience, or because I have the tools and knowledge to help another person to evolve, I’m more than happy to help out. Why would I limit my reach for helping others by putting a price on everything? To me, that’s just silly.

On the other side of things, of course, I don’t want to be taken advantage of either, and that’s why I limit any free readings I offer to people, because I’m a realist; I know it does happen. However, providing paid services for people is very different to simply lending a listening ear, or doing what I can to guide someone in a positive direction. Gee, even when I do a reading for someone, I’m always more than happy to elaborate or provide further guidance and tools if my client wishes. A reading shouldn’t end with “OK, your hour’s up, I’m done.” Again, that’s my opinion, but that’s the way I work anyway.

Every psychic/reader works in different ways, and I respect that, however I see myself as a true lightworker, and this beautiful person who messaged me last night, helped me to truly appreciate this within myself. I’m not just a “psychic” or someone who reads for other people.

I am a lightworker. I genuinely care about others, and my mission is to bring more light into the world.

I have had some wonderful discussions with many local people here in Nepal, and each and every one I speak with, has me nodding my head, and saying, “Yes!”

The Nepali people have life all figured out.

Even after the devastation that they have experienced less than a year ago, with the massive earthquake that has left so many people homeless, and having lost loved ones, they are nothing but happy, kindhearted, and genuinely grateful for everything they have.

The streets and traffic are insane, with not a road rule seeming to be in existence, yet we have not seen one person get angry, impatient, or frustrated. Drivers remain calm, and are so patient with one another, that there doesn’t ever seem to be an issue. We spoke with one of the taxi drivers about this, and he explained that while people may be in a rush to get from here to there, so is everyone else, and there’s no point in getting angry at each other. From what we have seen on the roads, the Nepali people just want to get on with their day, but also make sure they are looking out for one another.

The earthquakes in April and May have brought the Nepali people together in so many ways, and through so much sadness and loss, they’ve managed to pull together to help one another rebuild homes, and lend each other a helping hand in any way they can; whether it means financially supporting one another, providing food and blankets, or just being there for each other. From what I have seen and heard from the many stories told by locals, the people of Nepal were already a very kind and supportive people, but now, more than ever, the devastation they experienced as a nation, has just amplified their beautiful nature, and they seem to truly understand the meaning of humanity as a whole.

I truly believe that every person could learn a thing or two from the beautiful people of Nepal. Many of us seem to forget and take for granted some of the small things in life that may seem minor to us, but are extremely important here. Things like acknowledging one another in the street, not judging another based on appearance, culture, beliefs or life choices. Things like having enough food every day, having clean drinking water, or access to petrol to get around. Having somewhere to sleep at night, or clothes to wear. Having someone you can talk to when you need support. Having your loved ones alive and healthy. Children having access to education, or at the very least, someone to care for them.

Every single person I have met here; whether it be in conversation, or just a hello along the street, has been friendly, has a smile for me and a heartfelt “Namaste”, which is not only spoken, but is a genuine energy exchanged between two people. When I hand someone extra rupees because I feel as though they deserve more than what they’ve asked for selling me something, or for their wonderful service, they are genuinely grateful and it shows in their eyes. When I tell someone there’s no need to be ‘sorry’ or to treat me any differently because they somehow feel that I expect them to cater to my every need because I’m a tourist, they breathe a sigh of relief, and I can feel a knowing between us. A knowing that we understand one another as fellow human beings who are equal.

Our tour guide Yagya, said something beautiful the first day we met him; “I am not perfect. Life is about learning. Some things I know more than you, some things you know more than me. We are here to learn from each other.” That, we are. If we could only all begin by adopting the simple, yet powerful practice of the Nepali people in sharing a genuine “Namaste” to one another, the world may be a different place.

Namaste: “I honour the place in you where the universe resides. When I am in that place in me, and you are in that place in you, there is only one of us.”

The word, “Namaste” contains a word “Nama” which means “negating or reducing one’s ego in the presence of another”. Meaning, when people greet each other with “Namaste” they accept their existence.

When two people greet each other by joining their ten fingers, a vibe is produced, and when a person closes his/her eyes, and bow their head before another person, an energy is developed from heart – to – head. And finally, exerted through his/her head. This energy links one person to another, and every time it is done, an honour is developed; respect is created.

Namaste can elevate one’s consciousness, reminding us that all beings, all existence, is sacred. It also tends to draw an individual inward for a moment; inspiring reflection on deeper realities, and softens the interface between two people.

If we could reach a time and place where we all genuinely practice ‘Namaste’ to our fellow human beings, we could very well be much closer to achieving peace in the world.

This morning we began our day by having another lovely (large) breakfast at the Penguin Boutique Hotel. We said goodbye to the very kind staff and made our way to our new hotel, Kantipur Temple House. What a beautifully designed hotel it is! It feels like we are in another world, and as I write this, I am sitting out in the courtyard surrounded by beautiful wooden carvings and a luscious garden. I could stay here for a long time, but tomorrow, we head off to Pokhara, and we will be back here in four days time.

After we settled into our new room, we went for a wander around Thamel, and of course, did some more shopping. We were stopped by a lovely man who asked if we were from Australia, and usually, I would have said yes briefly then walked on, however for some reason I stopped to have a chat. He introduced himself as “Um” (pronounced Om), and that just made me feel as though it was even more significant a meeting. We ended up going inside to sit down and talk more inside his shop, and had a lengthy discussion about life, spirituality, and what it means to be on this path we call life. He was not at all surprised to find out the work that I do, as he said he felt the energy from my heart as we were walking down the street, and that’s why he felt drawn to talk to me. Once again, I had met someone who held the same values as my own, and we could have talked for hours, and he taught me a Nepali term that sums up my feelings: “Shanti Shanti”, which means ‘peace peace’. We exchanged Facebook details and off we went up the street to the Garden of Dreams.

The Garden of Dreams is situated on a very busy intersection in Thamel, and you wouldn’t imagine there being such a beautiful, peaceful place just inside the walls that surrounded it. Upon entering, I felt immediately relaxed, and the luscious gardens and sights of people laying on the grass reading books, or spending time with loved ones, was very welcoming.

We were then met by Rabi, who is the beautiful man who runs the Big Umbrella House in Kathmandu. He takes in children who are on the street (for various reasons- domestic violence, alcoholic parents etc) and he took us to the house where they’re living. The children were just arriving home from school, and they were so excited to meet us; one little boy grabbing my hand to take me on a tour of the house. After we had a look around, all of the children sat down to do their homework. It warmed my heart to see just how eager the children were to do their homework; some were drawing, some writing, and some reading. Their English was extremely good and we told them so (which of course, they were very proud of)!

These children are just so appreciative of small things; for example, I took out a scrapbook and started to draw, and they were all so excited to receive one sheet of paper each to draw on. “Look, Ma’m”, they were saying over and over again. It was lovely, and no matter how many times we said it was ok to call us by our first names, they still used the term ‘Ma’m’.

In a group of thirteen boys, there is also one girl staying there, and what a fiery, excitable little lady she was! She had found a bunch of rubber bands tied together and was bouncing the rubber bands on a book up and down, so I grabbed a book as well and asked her to throw it to me. We ended up playing makeshift ‘tennis’ with two books and a bunch of rubber bands for ages. One of the older boys wanted a turn and so we took it in turns to see how many times we could bounce the ‘ball’ on the book before dropping it. Such simple games, but at the same time, so very beneficial, and it reminded me of working in childcare again.

Just before we were due to go home, we gave the children a notebook each, some new pencils and pens, some drawing paper, and other items that Mum had brought over for them. There was also a book on Australia and Victoria, and they were fascinated by the different things they were seeing in these books. It was especially amusing to hear them try to pronounce ‘Uluru’. I wrote a little message in a couple of the children’s books, and it made me so happy to see them copying out and reading the words that I had written amongst one another. I do hope that these words stay with them for a long time.

Today would have to have been one of the most enlightening experiences of my life.

We met with our guide and driver in the morning, and they told us the meanings of their names: Dawa, which meansMoon, and Nima, which means Sun. We should have known from that moment, that today was going to be a special day. We made our way to Kopan Monastery and as we drove up the winding roads towards it, I could already feel the calm and peaceful energy that surrounded us, and as we arrived at the gates, we could hear the most amazing sound of the monks and nuns chanting their mantras.

We were visiting the monastery on a very significant day in the Tibetan calendar; ‘Marme Monlam’ and many monks and nuns had travelled from afar to be there. We certainly felt blessed to be allowed to visit on such an important occasion.

We wandered around the monastery, in awe of the beauty that surrounded us, and took lots of photos of the magnificent views. It wasn’t long after we got there, that the young boys (students) came outside for lunch and it was so refreshing to watch them just being boys! Some were rolling down the grassy hills, some were playing on their iPhones (yes iPhones), and it was very cute to see a few older boys getting all embarrassed around a young female tourist. Two of the boys pushed the other one forward, as if to say “you talk to her!” Another sight that made me laugh was seeing some of the older boys smashing back cans of Red Bull like they were going out of fashion! All of the boys just seemed so happy and relaxed. They were polite and respectful, but also at the same time, typical boys!

While the boys were on their break and everyone was roaming around the monastery, we were blessed to sit down and meet with one of the senior monks, Lop Sang. We chatted with him for quite a while, had lunch together, and discussed many, many things about Buddhism, rebirth, reincarnation, our purpose in life, spirituality, and humanity as a whole. We also shared stories of our own lives, beliefs and values, and I can’t even find the words to describe the feelings that I had as I realised that we shared many of the same beliefs. Here we were, chatting away to such a man of significance, sharing laughs, nodding to each other while we agreed on topics, all the while feeling such a wave of love and understanding washing over me from just being in his presence. Enlightening is not even enough of a word to describe it! I will share another post later on about our discussion, as it is just too much to fit in here, but all I can say right now is WOW.

After over an hour of discussion, Lop Sang took us for a walk inside the monastery, and showed us everything, explaining meanings behind it all along the way. It was quite overwhelming being inside, and I think I will let the photos I took explain this, as my words could not do it justice. He pointed out the image of the Dalai Lama, and started to explain who he was, and we just giggled and said, “Yes, we know who he is”. We made a donation and walked outside as the boys were about to begin a ceremony. Before this began however, Lop Sang walked away for a moment, and came back to us with a parting gift. He gave us each a piece of fruit from one of the trees in the monastery which he said were blessed, and he draped a Khata around each of our necks. The Khata symbolises purity and compassion, and the pure heart of the giver. He thanked us and said he was presenting us with these as his way of expressing gratitude to us for helping others, and to encourage us to continue our good work. I will be forever grateful for this moment, and it will remain ingrained in my memory for life.

It was then time for the boys to perform the ‘Ritual Fire Offering’. They were dressed in headgear in the shape of a bird (although it kind of looked like ancient Roman headgear to me- I was corrected very quickly lol), and carried their offering for hundreds of metres down the road in a procession type manner. The purpose of the ritual was to please the deities who help them to gain accomplishments on their path. It also removes any negative energy, faults or obstacles. Again, this was incredible to watch.

On the way home, our guide even thanked us for booking the tour today as he felt very emotional and grateful for having met Lop Sang, and he couldn’t take the smile off his face (much like us).

A day I will definitely never forget.

(We did get a photo with Lop Sang, however it is on my digital camera, and so I will need to wait until I get home to share it)

What a day! We are only at the end of day 3 of our trip and already I have found myself unable to accurately describe the feelings I have experienced from the incredible people and places we have seen. I have been on my own personal spiritual journey for some time now, but this place has already helped me understand way more than I ever could have imagined.
This morning we woke to a delicious homemade breakfast made by the lovely owner of the Peacock Guest House, which was the perfect start to our day. We relaxed in the courtyard as we watched the owners work on their beautiful handmade wood work. We were move and refreshed after a great night’s sleep.

As soon as we stepped out onto the street there were a couple of locals waiting for us to buy some of their goods, because we had said “maybe tomorrow” to them the day before. They remembered to come back.. Oh yes, they remembered! We were more than happy to spend some money however as we know just how much it helps them rebuild their lives.

We decided to take another walk around Bhaktapur, and as well as doing lots of shopping, we got to see some of the Newari culture firsthand. As we watched some of the locals placing flowers, food and water at one of their many shrines, we noticed what looked like blood, and at first, we thought perhaps it was powdered dye they were using (as they do use this at times-more about this later). However, as we walked further on, we saw two men carrying a dead goat, and on our way back, had another look at the shrine and saw that the goats head was placed there too. We later learned that part of the Hindu religion is animal sacrifice, and so sadly, this is what they had been doing. While it was upsetting to see, we also respected that this has been a part of their culture for a long time, and in particular, the locals in Bhaktapur are part of an ancient Newari settlement, and so their practices are very traditional. Cx Thankfully, we were soon surprised to find a hidden Buddhist monastery down the road, which lightened our mood. This monastery was well hidden, and if we hadn’t of gone off wandering, we would never have even known it was there. The monk who was cleaning out the front welcomed us to take photos and have a look around, which was lovely. There we saw young Bunga outside in the courtyard eating their lunch, which was served to them by the women. It was fascinating to watch. It felt like we were in another era.

Later in the afternoon we met up with our guide Rina, who took us on our ‘Spiritual Nepal’ tour. She started off by telling us that she wanted us to see and feel what Nepal is really like, so to get to our first destination, we walked for around twenty minutes through Thamel; weaving through the motorbikes, cars and rickshaws; something that is not so easily done for us as tourists, not being used to just walking in front of traffic! We walked to where the buses were (and when I say ‘bus’, it is not your average bus that we are used to). Because of the fuel shortage in Nepal, buses are packed with passengers to the brim, with people hanging out the sides. We squeezed onto this little bus (that honestly, I would never dream of getting on at home for fear of it falling apart), and made our way to Boudhanath Stupa.

Boudhanath Stupa is one of the largest Buddhist Stupas in the world, and after the 2015 earthquake, it is slowly being repaired, however it is still an absolute wonder to see and experience. Rina told us that while 70% of the Nepali population is Hindu, the stupa is visited regularly by both the Hindu and Buddhist people. She also informed is that there is no conflict in regards to religion in Nepal, which was a beautiful thing to find out (if only the rest of the world could follow suit). Rina explained to us what people do when visiting here – it’s just so much to explain myself, so I have posted a link below if you’d like more information.

We certainly picked the perfect day to visit here; being a very special occasion for the Buddhist religion. Today was the Chotrul Duchen Festival, the full moon day that marks the end of the 15 Days of Miracles. This is one of the four Buddhist festivals commemorating four events in the life of the Buddha, according to Tibetan traditions. Chotrul Duchen closely follows Losar, the Tibetan New Year. It takes place on the fifteenth day of the first month in the Tibetan calendar during the full moon, which is called Bumgyur Dawa. The first fifteen days of the year celebrate the fifteen days during which the historical Buddha Sakyamuni displayed miracle for his disciples so as to increase their devotions.

To commemorate the occasion, Tibetans make lamps, traditionally of yak butter, called butter lamps, in the shapes of flowers, trees, birds, and other auspicious symbols. All the lanterns are lit in celebration on the fifteenth day of the month. So, we each lit some butter lamps (odd numbers only), and then made our way around the stupa, spinning the hundreds of prayer wheels around the outside wall of the structure. Each prayer wheel is inscribed with the mantra Om Mani Padme Hum.

We walked clockwise around the stupa (this is the way to do it), and people usually walk three times around it; once for the Gods and Goddesses, twice for the world, three times for yourself. Rina also explained to us, the meaning behind the prayer flags. Each colour represents an element; blue for sky, white for air, red for fire, green for water, and yellow for the land. The prayers abs mantras are then carried by the wind to spread good will and compassion to all.

Once we reached halfway around the stupa, we made our way into the monastery (having a spin of the massive prayer wheel out front first). We wandered around inside, in awe of all the intricate details of the Thanga painting and golden god and goddess shrines. Upstairs were many people singing hymns and there were literally thousands of butter lamps being burned. We were simply speechless as we watched silently.

We then were invited up to meet with a local monk, who gave us both an astrology reading, and performed a mantra for us (and my children). The mantra that he recited for us was the sacred mantra of BUDDHA AMITABHA which protects you from dangers and obstacles, and overcomes all hindrances to your success. The mantra enhances your compassionate and loving nature bringing incredible blessings.

OM AMI DEWA HRIH

After a quick snack, we headed back onto another bus towards Pashupatinath Temple, which is one of the most sacred Hindu sites in Nepal. The temple is located on the Bagmati River. As we were walking towards it, we were lucky enough to meet a Holy Man (also known as Sadhu or Yogi), and we took a photo with him. We stopped and each bought an offering of marigold flowers to the Hindu Gods.

What we experienced next I cannot quite explain in words, however I will do my best. On one side of the river there were hundreds of people who had come to celebrate and worship the Gods. Music was being played and everyone was clapping along, singing and dancing. It was a beautiful feeling being there. However, directly opposite, were the cremations being held. This happens every single night. It was such a strange feeling and sight to see such complete opposite rituals occurring in the very same place. It invoked such an array of different emotions in me that I will never forget.

The Bagmati River (Holy River) runs to the Ganges in India. It used to be only royalty cremated here but now they have no King, so all people are cremated here (all religions too). Just a few hours after death people are cremated. First, they are stripped naked (same as when came into the world) and placed in the river on bamboo to cleanse and remove any sins, then brought back onto the bank to be cremated. The process takes 4-5 hours.

We discussed this at length with Rani, and something I found interesting about this was that there are three types of people who are buried instead of being cremated: a holy man, a pregnant woman, and a stillborn baby, as they are closer to spirit.

We spent quite some time here, and all the while, I felt I had to send out as much love, compassion, and positive energy as I possibly could to all who were there; in particular, those who were farewelling their loved ones.

As you can imagine, I could go on forever about today’s experiences, and you can understand why today, I have very much grown on a spiritual level.

In just ten days from now, my Mum and I will have commenced our two week holiday (which we have dubbed our ‘Peaceful Pilgrimage’) to Nepal. This is certainly going to be a trip of a lifetime, and one of spiritual growth and discovery.

With just some of the amazing experiences we have planned being a morning spent with a Buddhist Monk, a visit to the World Peace Pagoda, and mingling with locals in ancient settlements and villages, this trip is bound to be full of inspiration, stories, and incredible memories.

(Did I mention the natural wonders we will be seeing? The Himalayas… need I say more?)

I plan on keeping a blog while I am away, so I would love for anyone who is interested, to follow.